a race along the wall

He winced when the exotic prehistoric-looking young bird fell off the wall. He figured with being as big as he was, he wouldn't have been able to surprise him considering the sound his hooves made, but then again, maybe there was a little oversight and the snow muffled the sounds of his footsteps. "A-are you okay?" He asked from the other side of the wall. He jerked his head back a bit when he saw the bobbing head of the bird bouncing up and down as he seemed to try and find his way back up the wall, and Balian of course being the curious (and now amused) beast he was, slowly followed along, stealing peeks at the bird between holes and cracks in the wall, until finally, the young bird managed to climb back up and face him once more.

Balian looked at him curiously, taking in the bird's scent, and felt like it was...vaguely familiar. He had probably seen the bird before, and he probably should've remembered him all things considered, but he couldn't remember where he might've met him. "You're a horse!" Balian gave a snort of amusement, "I am, and you're a...not so normal looking bird!" He didn't mean it as a bad thing, but he was rather curious. Then the raptor claimed to have met another horse which Balian raised a brow in curiosity once more. The only other horse he had met was the unicorn stallion down west. He had yet to meet a mare...what a shame...

Then it so happened the raptor challenged him to a race. "Me? A chicken!?" He snorted, stamping a crystallized hoof into the snow, "I accept your challenge, bird!" He wasn't sure who was at an advantage here. On one hand, Zephyrus didn't have to dodge obstacles if he flew. On the other, Balian was built and bred for running. He positioned himself to face the direction the bird had pointed, pawing the ground again as he practically pranced in place, ready and raring to go!

His red-tailed hawk took to the sky, the monkey on his back leaping off onto the wall. "Ready?" The hawk circled above for a moment before heading off East. She called out to the racers, the signal to begin!

And with that, Balian kicked off! He thundered across the tundra, racing alongside the wall and avoiding any crumbled bits and obstacles that lay on the ground. He put a bit of space between him and the wall to give him a bit more open space. His ground-eating pace turned the world around him into a blur, and he was glad to have the cloven hooves because they aided in giving him a better grip on the ground. The trees in the near distance were all but a blur. He glanced to his side a few times in an effort to keep his opponent in his sights.

Balian vs Zephyrus for Race
Round: 1/?
Age: Over 1yr
Size: Large species
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Advanced Navigator

"Speech"